Sub Tracks: Technology and Nursing Science
Impact of Emerging Technology on Nursing Care, Electronic IV Monitors, Sphygmomanometer, Information Management, RFID technology,
Local wireless telephone networks, IT and Computer Technology, Engineering
Travel and Tourism, Vocational Courses
What is technology in nursing Science?
Technology enables RNs to improve efficiency and communicate more effectively in the nursing field. While some nurses are opposed to new technology, claiming that it takes personal interaction away from the bedside, a survey of 600 nurses found that 82% believe that technology improves patient care.
Technological advancements have transformed the medical landscape over the last 30 years. The days of meticulous charting and filing records by hand are numbered. Patients now have greater access to their data than ever before thanks to emerging technologies in telehealth and electronic recordkeeping. Technology enables RNs to improve efficiency and communicate more effectively in the nursing field.
While some nurses are opposed to new technology, claiming that it takes personal interaction away from the bedside, a survey of 600 nurses found that 82% believe that technology improves patient care. For them, the new tools available in health systems help them reclaim time in their day, and with nurse burnout on the rise in the United States, it may keep nurses from leaving their practice setting.
Positive Impact on Nursing Shortage
Nurse burnout has contributed to the nation’s nursing shortage. Long-term mental and physical exhaustion can cause nurses to feel stretched thin, causing them to leave their practice setting. Emerging telehealth technologies can help ease the burden on nurses by requiring fewer nurses to provide adequate care.
Potential Drawbacks of Nursing Technology
The rapid advancement of technology in the healthcare industry has revealed potential roadblocks that hospital systems may face.
A Threat to the Human Element
Improved technology has the potential to replace face-to-face interaction between a nurse and a patient. Nurses are responsible for establishing relationships with their patients and their families, as well as explaining medications, taking vitals, and assisting patients with daily needs. In some hospitals, nurses are required to wheel in their workstation (a mobile computer) to record patient information. While patients and healthcare professionals perceive typing information on a computer to be more trustworthy, it will inevitably result in less face-to-face interaction.
